


can i trust you?

by chosuiri



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, SWEET SLOWBURN THE WAY I LIKE IT. GOOD SUFFERING, more characters may be added when i think about it, mostly fox yuta/ninja shinobu au!, rating may go up aaaaa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-10-05 14:37:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10310456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chosuiri/pseuds/chosuiri
Summary: humans and youkai can definitely live in harmony-- shinobu believes this strongly in his heart. but when the ninja approaches the other side, he tries so hard to cling to this innocent optimism.// fox yuta and ninja shinobu au.





	1. nice of you to drop by.

**Author's Note:**

> "haru what about your chiakana fic" um... anyways...  
> hello! i've been building on this au for a very long time now, and i'm... really excited to put it out here! the thing is, most of this will focus on the development of yuta and shinobu's relationship, so any other ships will be pushed aside? (tetohina has like. a secondary focus but they're not going to be really into your face? if that makes sense omg)  
> this has been done before but.... i wanted to write it anyways... so i took that concept and expanded on it. oops. lol  
> i tried to conduct some research, but this is based off the test of courage gacha, the opera event, and the scroll of elements event. for kanata i plan to use his gacha. so basically this will take place in the meiji era + some fantasy (especially with youkai)  
> i'm trying to do as much as i can in terms of world building, but please tell me if i got anything wrong, and i'll make sure to adjust it!  
> anyways.. here u go! i hope u enjoy!  
> also no proofreading we DIE LIKE MEN

For a ninja in training, the best course of action is to lurk from the shadows and help others whenever possible. Puffing his chest out and pumping his fist in order to provide a sort of motivation, Shinobu takes off on his training for the day. Even as a part of the Sengoku clan, a very renowned clan known for serving feudal lords to the best of their ability in the past, Shinobu finds himself unable to progress as quickly as the rest. It frustrates him to no end, but he tells himself to not lose hope by working even harder. He’s admired his parents and ninjas in general for the longest time-- everyday he gets closer to his goal, right?

He springs up to his feet, smiling triumphantly to himself as he maneuvers the familiar terrain of the forest grounds. He hums to himself as he navigates the treetops-- albeit very slowly. He still is quite frightful of hiding up in trees, and the fact that he has established traveling from the top as his new goal-- training has resulted in much more casualties than before. He doesn’t exactly mind, since it’ll cause him to grow stronger in the end!

The reason for learning to navigate from above is simple-- it's a good way to scour the area for potential threats or even to find those in dangers.

Eyes widen upon spotting one in particular, and Shinobu peers down below to inspect more closely-- however his range of eyesight is relatively weak, so he resolves to leap off the tree.

His training has not yet prepared him for this-- all those times he practiced close to the sky, he always opted to scuttle his way down rather than gracefully leaping off now. He won’t get any better unless he practices a little, though…

He closes his eyes, bracing himself for the impact as he dives to the ground. Involuntarily, he lets out a shriek. Wind blows straight into his face, revealing his hidden eye and his scarf flutters behind him in the air.

He hits the ground with a soft thud-- however he hasn’t really felt any remarkable impact. Rather, it seems like the forest grounds is softer than he thought?

“Nice of you to… _urgh_ … drop by…” An unfamiliar, yet soothing, voice grunts from beneath him. Shinobu feels himself physically freeze at the sound of another voice.

Jumping off the other’s body, he shies away and clambers behind a nearby tree and eyes the victim to his foolishness warily. “U-Um… please forgive this ninja for his inexperience,” he begins nervously, twiddling his fingers with uncertainty. “It seems like yours truly still has to work on his aim..?”

The other snorts, but Shinobu doesn’t even bother to look at the other, instead fixating his gaze on the ground.

“Interesting.”

He doesn’t know what to make out of that. “Ah, forgive my incompetence! U-Um, are you hurt..?” He stammers-- the instance of meeting new people has been such a long time ago, so he curses at himself internally for his blunders. Placing himself in isolation of sorts for his training really took a toll on his social ability…

He hears pounding against the ground, but yet is still caught off guard when a face suddenly pops directly under his own face-- green eyes burn into his own golden eye, causing him to draw back.

“Oh, you have hair in the way,” the stranger stretches his hand over to brush it out of the way, but Shinobu bats it away instinctively.

“That’s sexual harassment!”

“S-Sorry?” The owner of the voice withdraws away, and straightens his back-- standing up tall. He even slides backwards, and Shinobu notices the other dip his head down and fixates on his hand. He seems… _distant_ . The ninja understands _perfectly_ why, since there is a divide of sorts between humans and the youkai-- they are not allowed to live in harmony for some reason. His village is secluded from the rest, so he isn’t very sure of why there’s such a harsh discrimination against youkai, but by listening to mere stories of people when he frequents the town… he has gathered that there has been massive conflict with them overtime, but there has been a time in where both humans and youkai lived in harmony.

He loves the idea.

Shinobu stifles a huff, and forces himself to bring his face back up to meet with the other’s more clearly. To his distaste, he has to look up slightly. “Apologies, it seems like this ninja is being quite hostile. Uuu, I beg for your forgiveness!”

“It's alright, I'm not really hurt. I'm being hostile too...” The other laughs, “oh, I suppose an introduction is needed… um, I'm Yuta. I have a twin brother, but I'm looking for him. He hasn't come back in two days, so I'm a little worried.”

“Eh? Then allow this ninja to make it up to Yuta-kun by helping him find his brother!” He sparkles at the idea of being to help others-- at Japan’s current time, it seems like less and less ninjas are needed these days. In fact, they've become more of a nuisance. The art has died over the years, and only Shinobu’s clan has adhered to the study of ninjutsu. However, they entirely isolated themselves from society, becoming a secluded village beyond the very forest Shinobu eagerly trains in every day.

“Are you sure? I don't want to trouble you,” he murmurs, eyes glazing slightly and he droops quite significantly at the thought that he must be a burden of sorts on the young ninja. “I am… a monster, don't you know?”

“Ehh? Youkai… yours truly believes that we can live with them in harmony~♪ Yuta-kun isn't a monster.” Shinobu responds quickly, but he is completely earnest in his words. “We may have just met today, but… Yuta-kun is reliable-- this ninja is quite indebted to Yuta-kun!”

“You're really strange, aren't you?” He questions with an amused giggle, arousing confusion from Shinobu. “You’re way different from the others...”

“Huh?” He squeaks, eyes widening as his cheeks involuntarily turn a deep red shade. It hasn’t even been that long since he’s met Yuta, but… he’s already getting embarrassed like this. Shinobu shakes his head vigorously, and wills himself to regain some composure.

“Mm, nothing~♪”

Shinobu blinks at Yuta’s vague remark, but… it feels warm to him, nonetheless. “Is that so..? This ninja used Yuta-kun to cushion his fall, so… he will take responsibility! Please follow suit!” He shouts, bowing his head down, cheeks still aflame and he physically trembles at the consequences he could face for letting in someone else in the village. It shouldn’t be _too_ bad, right?

“Eh? I said I’m alright,” Yuta shakes his head, “you really don’t need to worry about me. No need for debts or anything-- you should focus on your training, okay?”

He hesitates in speaking out against other’s wishes, but… he truly believes that this will be better for Yuta! If he just stays here, there’s no way he will be able to find his brother. “Nay! This is part of my training!”

Yuta droops at that statement.

 _What did he do?_ “Nay, that’s not quite right either…” He bites his lips, searching for the proper words. “I want to help Yuta-kun… is that not what Yuta-kun needs?”

“I don’t necessarily need the assistance.” He replies curtly, crossing his arms and averting his gaze from Shinobu’s. He rubs his own back (probably from when Shinobu fell on him) with a slight look of irritance spreading across his features. “Aniki…” he mutters briefly underneath his breath, which urges Shinobu’s ears to perk up.

If he cannot convince Yuta to get medical attention, then there is a way to get him to cooperate…

“Please!” The ninja almost shouts out of the blue, and he courageously takes a step forward and wraps his arms around one of the other’s arms. “A ninja’s duty is to assist from the shadows, but… he will make an exception this time! He has an idea for Yuta-kun to reunite with his older brother!”

“Like I said, that’s not necess-”

“Nay!” He squeezes his arm harder, now tugging it in a certain direction leading to the village. “I have devised a plan! Yuta-kun’s brother surely must be in town, right? Youkai are not welcome there, so… there is a possibility he is in danger!?”

Yuta’s eyes widen, and his standoffish behavior fades-- causing him to grow limber, making it extremely easy for Shinobu to drag him where he desires.

“Can I trust you?” He whispers, and Shinobu detects a slight hint of tremor present in his voice.

It’s strange, how he can learn so much about a person within an hour.

He wonders if meeting new people always went like this.

“If I am deserving.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UM... so that's it for now! tell me how u think and even if no one likes it im gonna keep writing this since i'm really excited for this au
> 
> if u want u can talk to me on twitter over @sweetie_wink!  
> thank you for reading!
> 
> update: i changed the summary but the title is stayin until someone else comes up w/ something better


	2. a secret place.

He has his hesitance in bringing Yuta to his clan’s secret village, but… if the other trusts him a little bit, it’s only fair that he trusts Yuta too. He may be extremely mysterious, but… Shinobu knows he is inherently a good person--  _ well _ , youkai.

He hates getting in the way of others, and he can’t stand intervening in other’s affairs so actively-- but somehow he is  _ drawn _ to help the fox youkai, and it feels like there’s almost a shred of humanity in the other too.

Yuta claims to be a monster, but… all Shinobu sees is just a normal soul in pursuit of happiness. All are fundamentally structured in such a way-- even when one’s motives are faulty and heinous-- they all live to obtain sheer happiness, may it be for themself or for another.

“Where are we going?” Yuta speaks up, and eyes continue their prolonged gaze on Shinobu’s hand wrapping around his wrist. Shinobu glances away bashfully when he notices, but he refuses to release Yuta from his grip.

He won’t let him run away. He has to save him.

“A secret place… this humble ninja asks that you keep this dwelling of his a definite secret. My clan prefers to be left undisturbed by civilization.” He responds with a small smile, “it’s a fun place~ I haven’t been back in a while due to my training.”

“A clan…” Yuta murmurs, the word unfamiliar upon his tongue. “Like… a family? Must be nice…”

Shinobu feels a sharp pang in his heart, but he stops himself from inquiring further. It is rude of him to pry so quickly-- and especially on the first day of their meeting. “Yes… everyone in there dotes on me, worried since I’m always behind in skill. Lately, I have been trying to not return until I am a ninja worthy of being upgraded from a child.”

“Then why are you taking me?” He raises his voice sharply, “You must be really naive to go back on that pact you made with yourself for the sake of helping a stranger you just met.”

“There’s a reason…” Shinobu retorts, albeit quietly and hesitantly. “Yuta-kun..? You…”

“Am I scaring you?”

“Nay. I have no reason to be afraid.”

Shinobu braces himself for Yuta to dare touching him again, but instead he is confronted with an uncomfortable silence. Yuta’s self-demeaning attitude pushes Shinobu to wanting to cry, but he tells himself it’s not worth worrying him for. It won’t help, he needs to keep it within. “Yuta-kun…” He whispers, his voice so small he doubts that he’s even heard.

“Humans aren’t supposed to be this nice.” He asserts, stopping in the middle of his tracks, and jerks Shinobu back as well. “They’re cruel, selfish, greedy, and take all they can from nature.”

“Not all humans.” Shinobu mumbles at first, but resolves to repeat himself in a more aggressive way. “Not all of them. I do not know what Yuta-kun has gone through, but… humans are more than that. Not all are the same… Yuta-kun saying that is like this ninja saying that the youkai who have tormented him in his youth are how all youkai act. In my own gloomy youth up until now, I have been left behind so many times-- cornered by humans and youkai alike. I’ve been rejected by society, considered a nuisance to many...”

“That means I’m right… there’s no way you can trust anyone like that.”

“Yes, Yuta-kun can forgive,” Shinobu swirls around at this point, and looks at Yuta directly in the eyes. “No matter how many times **_I_** was wronged, I was always given another chance. People saved me, and so I resolved to work even harder so one day I can repay the debts I owe. My life’s purpose now is to become an excellent ninja so I can bring glory to those before me, and to continue their lineage of shadowed heroism…”

Yuta glances away, breaking off from Shinobu’s intense glower. Shinobu only blinks at his silence, but already feels meddling by his earlier words. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything, if it is going to result in everything becoming more awkward.

Pulling on the fox’s wrist, Shinobu turns around to resume his path. His body moves briskly, but the ninja is far too scared to even utter an apology.

“It hurts.” Yuta whispers, his voice laden with some sort of emotions weighing on him. Shinobu can only hope he hasn't driven someone to tears… the first time he talks to someone in weeks, and it turns out something like this. 

“This ninja cannot let you go-- he sincerely apologizes for that.”

“Can you at least loosen your grip?”

Shinobu turns around, and searches for the expression on Yuta’s face. He looks as if he broke out into sweat, and it's very close to turning into a shade of light purple. Guilt churns in Shinobu’s stomach, and he let's go completely. For some reason he didn't react so badly to him tugging on his arm, but it seems like his wrist is a more sensitive spot?

“It looks like this ninja is the one who couldn't trust…” He murmurs, “I'm sorry… it was selfish of me to expect your trust when I couldn't give any in return. I have faith that Yuta-kun won't run away! Uwah, but for me to make a mistake…” He sniffs at this point, and he rubs his face in order to pretend that the tears aren't there. 

“N-No, it's… not your fault!” He reassures him, eyes widening but otherwise he looks less queasy than before.

Maybe something happened he's so afraid of being touched like that. This always happens when Shinobu tries to take initiative to save people-- he always ends up messing up and doing something unforgivable without knowing. Saving is better left to the police officers and city guards like Tetora-- ninjas may have been his heroes, but he certainly is far from being one himself. 

Ninjas are only well suited for saving others from beyond the shadows-- no reward or recognition required.

He stares at the ground so he can regain his footing, and when he remembers the route, he motions for Yuta to follow him. 

And so, the two makes their way to the secret village. 

* * *

They enter the premises, and almost immediately he is greeted by the majority of the village staring them down. Shinobu is startled by it at first, but then he remembers that some ninjas in training surely must've been on a lookout and spotted him.

After one blink, he is squished between his parents, and they sound like as if they are crying when they greet him.

“Shinobu… where have you been? Uwaaaaaah, we really missed you!” His father cried, wrapping his arms around the ninja, causing Shinobu to respond with only a roll of his eyes.

“Father, this ninja told you, didn't he? Personal training! In isolation!” He replies indignantly, lips forming into a pout as he tries to wriggle his way out of his parent's hold. The rest of the village has their eyes on him, and it makes him completely self-conscious.

Surveying his surroundings for his companion, he gets worried when he couldn't even spot a tuft of ginger hair. “Yuta-kun..?”

“Hey, stop it! Don't play with my ears!” He hears in response, and it relieves Shinobu for some reason. At least his village hasn't left him out… well, somehow.

“Shinobu, are you planning to leave again?” His mother asks, snapping him out of his musings. Shinobu hesitates, but nods. “My, I see... But I cannot bear to part with you again!” She laments, rubbing her cheek against his.

“Mother… this ninja regrets to inform Mother that this is only a stop to rest.” He asserts, “This ninja brought a companion… Yuta-kun require some rest for tonight, and tomorrow, yours truly will be escorting Yuta-kun to the city to find his brother. As his ninja, I cannot send him on his own! Mother is surely aware of the discrimination against youkai?!”

"Yuta-kun..? Shinobu, you made a friend? I see, you've really grown… My son is so amazing!” She wails, pulling him into a tight embrace, but not before glaring at her husband to let go.

“Yuta-kun is a fox youkai, huh… Shinobu, you must not forget to keep your guard up. He looks harmless, but you never know.” His father explains sternly, “but… did he help you out or are you trying to save him?”

“This ninja wishes to save Yuta-kun… he is not very trusting of humans. So, I would like for him to be happy again and come to trust humans. For that time when humans and youkai alike can confidently live together in harmony-- I think it can start with Yuta-kun.” Shinobu responds in earnest, eyes shining at the possibilities of a future like that.

“Hm… well said,” his father says in response, and pets him on the head. “You've grown well, Shinobu.”

“Uuu… father, do not pet me on the head like that. I am no longer a child!?” He whines in return, but his father’s approval does raise his spirits up a bit. It makes him feel more confident in what he’s doing-- it  _ is _ right.

* * *

After all of the fuss in the village, Shinobu and Yuta finally have the chance to relax in Shinobu’s room. Yuta looks utterly exhausted, and it might’ve been his fault for leaving him to be swept up by the village children while Shinobu had to explain their situation.

“Yuta-kun… please forgive me, but it couldn’t be helped! Yuta-kun, are you hurt..?”

“Geez… these ninja kids are really enthusiastic about youkai,” Yuta mutters with a groan, grooming himself to fix any hairs that possibly fell out of place. “It was  _ sorta _ fun, but… I’m super tired. Those kids said that I was cool…” He narrows his gaze, and looks directly at Shinobu. “I’ve never been called that before. It felt nice.”

Shinobu’s body tenses from the proximity, and he’s still unable to deal with someone else being so close to him. Shutting his eyes to ease off some of the pressure, he carelessly shouts, “But Yuta-kun is cool! How has he not heard about this before? This ninja thought Yuta-kun was really cool when he first met Yuta-kun… so, please become accustomed to hearing those words!”

They sit there for a few minutes, and he doesn’t even hear a response. Anxious that Yuta is thinking that he is super weird for seeing that, he warily opens an eye to see what happened. His eyes are closed-- and his body wavers despite itself. Shinobu jolts straight up, concerned over the possibility of Yuta flopping on the ground, and extends his arms to pull Yuta up. Somehow, his clumsiness jars Yuta to fall straight in his lap instead.

It’s a little…

But Shinobu breaks out in a smile, and lets his companion stay there. Always curious about how soft his ears felt, he slowly reaches a hand out to touch it. 

It feels warm, as he expects. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was supposed to be a cute au but then it got angsty and i want to d
> 
> um thank u everyone for readin!! i'm glad u guys gave my au a chance ah.... im still excited  
> and if ur waiting for that sweet tetohina don't worry i got you. it's coming next chapter
> 
> follow me on @sweetie_wink on twitter for more fun and sin patrols


	3. come here often?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :^)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the tetohina your parents warned you about is finally here  
> alsoooo thank you all for your support!  
> hope you enjoy this chapter! <3

“Shinobu-kun, does this even look good on me..?” Yuta asks, gingerly adjusting the new outfit that's been put on him. He tosses the extra ninja hood Shinobu has prepared for him, deeming that it looks ‘too shady' or something-- Shinobu thinks it looks really awesome, but maybe Yuta doesn't have the same perception of things as he does.

“Yuta-kun looks amazing! Uwah, seeing Yuta-kun in the clothing of the Sengoku clan may cause this ninja’s heart to skip a beat!” Shinobu enthuses, cheeks red and eyes wide with awe. He takes the extra cloth meant to cover Yuta’s ears, and wonders why they are no longer showing. “Yuta-kun, what happened to your ears?”

Blinking, Yuta reaches up to touch where his ears were. “Oh, I'm half human, so… these ears aren't exactly functionable anyways, if that makes sense? Youkai have a secret to hiding their ears and tail, of course. It's for the times when we must blend in with humans…”

Shinobu’s jaw drops, and his mouth shows no signs of closing. “What?”

“Huh? Is it that surprising? All youkai have that skill, really…”

“No, not that! This ninja is aware of such a phenomenon occurring-- he can make it happen himself with ninjutsu!”

“Then what?”

“Yuta-kun is hostile toward humans, but… he's half-human? Uwah, that doesn't really make sense?!”

Yuta’s face grows cold, and he only responds with a dull silence.

Shinobu realizes he may have pressed too far, and looks away shamefully. “Please accept this humble ninja’s apologies…” Clutching the cloth in his hand tightly, he turns around to hopefully dispel his guilt.

“No,” Yuta’s voice begins behind him, “I'm sorry. There's a reason I can't trust humans, but… I…”

“It is fine… it is not this ninja’s place to ask about Yuta-kun like this, especially since the two of us have only just met.” He replies hesitantly, yet firmly at the same time. Swirling around as his resolve hardens, he raises his voice subtly, “I want to be relied on by Yuta-kun, so… if possible, please tell me all of your troubles when you're ready.”

For the first time ever since Shinobu has met the fox youkai, Yuta’s lips curl upward slightly. “Thank you.”

Shinobu beams brightly in return, and he stands still-- taking in the moment. To his amusement, this causes Yuta to get a little flustered.

“D… Do you need something?” Yuta asks, green eyes searching for something pleasant to focus on, deliberately avoiding Shinobu’s gaze.

“This ninja thinks Yuta-kun should keep the hood with him just in case.” Shinobu pauses, and launches himself higher by standing on the tips of his toes-- rolling the ninja hood into becoming more like a normal bandana of sorts, and hovers over the other's hair. “Does Yuta-kun allow this?”

“Just be gentle…” Yuta murmurs in response.

Shinobu hums, as he pulls Yuta’s hair into a ponytail, and secures it with the cloth. Happy with his work, he steps back to admire it. “Oooh, this sort of style makes Yuta-kun look super cool!~”

“Does it?” Yuta laughs, “I'm glad.”

“Ah, this ninja has been wasting time! We should get going to town?!” Shinobu exclaims, as he beckons Yuta to follow him.

* * *

Upon reaching the border of the town's entrance, Shinobu spots a very familiar face already. However, another person is approaching the figure, causing Shinobu to motion to Yuta to follow him. Yuta complies, albeit reluctantly, and the two try to stealthily get closer-- enough to eavesdrop.

When they are within several feet of the person Shinobu recognizes, he crouches down in a nearby bush. Yuta follows his lead, and is watching by Shinobu's side.

“So, come here often?” A boy with orange hair asks the young city guard, tipping his hat slightly down with a goofy grin on his face.

“I work here,” the guard replies blankly, sighing as he shakes his head. “Hinata-kun, I’m busy. Don’t ya have work to do, too? Ya can’t stay here forever, y’know… some new recruits are coming sooner or later.”

“Booo, I’ll just crash in with you, then!” Hinata sings in response, raising his hands in the air, “Tetsu-kun, take good care of me, alright?”

“No way, don’t ya got a brother waiting for ya at home? Quit messin’ around.” Tetora scowls in response, crossing his arms as he looks over at the student. “Ya never really told me why yer here…”

“Hmm, call it teenage rebellion if you wish~♪ I'm just in pursuit of that boyish spirit you possess,Tetsu-kun! You can't really find that where I live.” Hinata responds vaguely, causing the other to sigh.

“Uh huh…” Tetora nods idly, deciding to give it up.

“Seeeriously,” Hinata sings, “it's hard scraping by in the city when you're a poor student. You can't forget those pesky strangers trying to threaten the town’s safety. Tetsu-kun, you must have it tough!”

“Eh… yer really contradicting yerself there,” Tetora mutters as he sighs. “Anyways, stop bothering me. I think I hear somethin’.”

“Oh, it’s time for Tetsu-kun to start working, hm~?” Hinata grins, “It’s a shame for me to take my leave already, though. Maybe I’ll stay for a while! Teach me your ways, okay?”

Tetora scoffs in response, “as long as ya don’t get in the way.”

Shinobu’s eyes widen at Tetora’s alertness. He isn't as stealthy as he thought, then..? A shame to his clan, maybe he should take this chance to leave permanently and to never return again. He shakes his head vigorously, immediately denying the thought of abandoning all he’s known for his own life.

“It must've been my fault,” Yuta whispers quickly, almost as if he has sensed Shinobu’s worries. “Sorry… you might have to give me more training, huh?”

“O-Of course--”

“Sengoku-kun, what are ya doin’ here?” Tetora calls out, crouching down and peering into the bush Shinobu is hiding in. Following Tetora, Shinobu notices that the orange-haired boy resembles Yuta quite well.

His suspicions are confirmed when Yuta is quick to rise up from his hiding place, and he storms over to the other boy.

“Aniki, what the hell?” Yuta hisses, staring down Hinata with utter contempt.

“That is Yuta-kun’s brother?” Shinobu questions worriedly, and springs up from the hiding spot as well. “Uwah… how coincidental and convenient, but…”

At that, Tetora inches to camouflage himself with the shrubbery as well, and faces Shinobu directly.

“Shh, Sengoku-kun. Don't say anythin… If they start fightin’, I swear I'll stop it, okay?” Tetora turns to the ninja, placing a finger next to his lips, imitating a shush gesture. “Geez, this really gonna put me behind in patrol… hope boss won't get mad!”

Shinobu nods doubtfully, and forces himself to stay in hidden so he doesn't try to dive into the conversation. “Tetora-kun, if the need arises, please restrain this ninja if he was to act of turn.”

“Huh? ‘Course I was gonna do that.” Tetora blinks, but forces Shinobu to look over to witness the twins' conversation.

“My dearest Yuta-kun missed me so much, hmm~?” Hinata replies with a boisterous laugh, “sorry, onii-chan has been trying to earn money.”

“You gotta be kidding me… you jerk! You left me all alone!” Yuta shouts, “Sakuma-san told me you’ll be back soon, but you never came!”

Hinata tries to avoid Yuta’s gaze as soon as he delivers his outburst. Silently, he pulls the rim of his hat further down, attempting to obscure his face-- even a slight amount. A bittersweet smile tugs at his lips, and he stays silent.

“Aniki..?” Yuta whispers, as he slowly makes his way over to his brother, and tries to take away the hat. “I just want to know…”

“Yuta-kun, stop it.” Hinata mutters, swatting away his brother's approaching hand. “Mm, this cap is special to me, okay? Don't take it away, there's no need to be so selfish.”

“Who are you calling selfish..?” Yuta fires back, physically bristling up even though he has tried to calm down a second earlier. “You're always leaving me behind, you always leave me in the dark. Can't you at least tell me your plans? Stop trying to do everything yourself!”

“Yuta-kun, I just don’t want to drag you in…” He murmurs, eyes looking downcast. “I can’t say my reasons right now, but… can you trust me? Everything will be better, so stop looking so sad. I’ll explain, I swear.” He pleads, tearfully bringing a thumb to wipe away the reluctant tears that forms at the ends of his twin’s eyes.

“... I don’t know if I can,” Yuta states softly, yet firmly, as he puts his hands on his hips and leans forward, but not before grabbing his brother’s wrist and dragging it away from his face. “You’re acting like _him_ , you know? Shinobu-kun, we’re leaving.”

Shinobu jumps at his name being mentioned, and shakingly leaves Tetora behind in the bushes. “Yuta-kun came to find his brother, though!? This ninja doesn’t mean to impose on Yuta-kun’s feelings, but he has come so far.”

“I don’t want to deal with this guy,” Yuta sighs, and walks over to snatch Shinobu by his arm, and tugs him along. “Don’t try to find us, Aniki.”

Before Shinobu can try to protest even further, Yuta keeps walking-- forcing Shinobu to restlessly keep up by scrambling behind him.

The breeze doesn’t completely distort Hinata and Tetora’s pleas for Yuta to come back, and it makes Shinobu try to tug Yuta back. It works for a moment, but Yuta pulls harder, winning the tug of war.

* * *

 

“Yuta-kun, please calm down.” He sniffs, growing limber and completely weak. “You’re being scary.”

Yuta lets out a horrified gasp, and releases Shinobu immediately from his grip. “I’m so sorry! But, it's annoying, it feels like he doesn’t even need me there. He’s having fun with that Tetora guy or whatever, anyways. He doesn’t need me, doesn’t he? I guess he’s fed up with being a youkai after that last time with Sena-san…”

“Hinata-kun surely isn’t that kind of person,” Shinobu offers with a small smile, “he cares about Yuta-kun a lot, doesn’t he? This ninja feels like it’s not his place to ask about this ‘Sena-dono’, but…”

“He’s just a snake youkai… Aniki doesn’t really get along with him, but he likes me for some reason. Something about a human called ‘Yuu-kun’, but… it’s hard to explain. Last time, I think Aniki got hurt, so that’s why he disappeared…”

“Does Hinata-kun disguise as a human a lot?”

“All the time,” Yuta responds bleakly, “he never tells me when he’s going, but he always has that outfit hidden… but he’s not very good at hiding things. Sakuma-san is the one who saw it, and then told me. Sakuma-san is a little meddlesome, but I’m grateful to him.”

“That’s great,” Shinobu beams even harder, and he reaches over to grab Yuta’s hands. “This ninja is extremely glad that Yuta-kun has those who care for him!”

Yuta turns extremely red at Shinobu’s words, for some weird reason-- Shinobu doesn’t exactly comprehend why, but he’s glad that he has managed to calm his friend down.

“If Yuta-kun feels better, then allow this ninja to show Yuta-kun around town! This ninja hasn’t been here in awhile, so there are some people that is imperative for him to visit! They are the ones who have helped this ninja sometimes, after all.” Shinobu suggests, hoping that if Yuta comes in contact with more kind and trustworthy people, then he’ll warm up to humans.

“It sounds like a date? Aha, I accept, then.”

“A date? W-Wait, that’s not what that ninja was intending to say!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i considered just writing a tetohina spin off of this au but. idk. maybe after this is done??? ur thoughts?  
> also... hinata stole eichi's clothes in case ur wondering. that's the outfit he's in. just SNATCHED it from him  
> vegetable seller midori is coming next chapter get ready
> 
> catch me on twitter @sweetie_wink for more cry typing about 2winkseitai


	4. vegetable seller.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GOD THAT GACHA!!!! i'm so happy and grateful for it, it explains a lot about why yuta was so interested in shinobu to the point he wanted to be friends w/ him!  
> i hope you guys brought ur boys home, bc i sure did... yuta came home and brought shinobu with him :'). and chiaki and midori (who are both, coincidentally, in this chapter)
> 
> anyways thank u all for reading and i hope you enjoy the chapter!

“It’s quite lively, huh?” Yuta questions, not as overwhelmed by the sheer amount of humans in this one area as he has thought himself to be. 

“Y-Yes, this ninja hasn't been here for a while, but it seems to be as bustling as ever.” Shinobu replies hesitantly, but offers his friend a small smile. “Uwah… this is supposed to be a date…”

“Oh, I was joking earlier--” Yuta pauses for a second, to think for a second. Shinobu waits anxiously, unsure if he should interrupt him. “Or am I? I never really went on a date before, so… maybe I shouldn't let you take it back.”

“H-Huh?”

“It'll be fun if it's with you, Shinobu-kun.” He affirms with a small smile, and it sends Shinobu’s heart into a frenzy.

“Then… this ninja will do his best…” Shinobu complies uncertainly, but his eyes widen with a sudden realization. Yuta looks at him, curious, and Shinobu’s cheeks flare up from the sudden attention. “Just follow this ninja! He will take Yuta-kun to many places!”

“Huh, so is that what you do on a date?” He asks almost teasingly, and Shinobu pouts. 

“Less talking, more running!” He insists loudly, breaking out into a run and leaving Yuta to play catch up with him

He doesn't recall teaching Yuta the optimal way to run, but… hopefully he can pick up on how Shinobu does it.

Yuta’s laughs resounding from behind reassures that he is smart enough to figure out a way-- Shinobu, feeling slightly remorseful for his anxiousness flaring up, comes to a slow stop so the fox can properly catch up with him.

“This is the Shinobu-kun run, isn’t it?” He remarks idly, “I hope I did it proper justice.”

“Eh? This ninja is no way worthy of such an honor-- this is the way ninjas run, it’s quite efficient! It was taught to this ninja when he was entrenched in training as a child.” Shinobu explains somewhat triumphantly, golden irises sparkling as he begins to enthuse on about the various techniques he learned back in his early childhood. While it was lonely, and he was more isolated from the other children due to him being a little behind all the time.

“Oh, so surely you must be a master ninja now, right? You’ve gone through much training, after all…” Yuta asks, ears perking up curiously, eyes traveling to inspect the ninja gear he wore. 

“Nay! This humble ninja has yet to reach such a master status to where he has finessed all of the arts! It takes many years of refining various techniques-- then, this ninja can be considered a proper master ninja.” Shinobu refutes Yuta’s praise, “but… thank you for listening to this ninja’s rambles. Wah… I must’ve bored Yuta-kun!”

“Not at all,” Yuta shakes his head, “It makes me ask ‘am I even worthy of wearing this?’ The Sengoku clan sounds quite special. I’m just a youkai, after all! There’s no way I should--”

“Eh? There is nothing wrong with Yuta-kun wearing it if he is to be a ninja in training as well!”

“Oh, did I ever say I was interested?”

Shinobu frowns, stopping in his tracks and looking down slightly. He assumes that Yuta has some sort of interest in the art, but he never really asked for confirmation-- he’s probably listening to him just to be nice. Shinobu kind of helped him after all, it’s akin to returning a favor. Fox youkais do that, don’t they? Well, he doesn’t know much about the mystical creatures in the first place.

“Sorry, I was joking.” Yuta apologizes, “You should enjoy talking about things you love. It makes me happy when you’re excited about ninjas, Shinobu-kun.”

Before Shinobu can respond, Yuta suddenly is in front of him and puts a finger to his lips, staring him straight in the eye. “But before that, don’t you think we’re straying off path a little? Where are we? It seems way more peaceful than you made it out to be…”

“Yuta-kun is right… uwah, forgive this clumsy ninja who has directed Yuta-kun in the wrong way!” Shinobu laments, although he is a bit taken aback by Yuta placing his finger on his lips. Well, he takes it off as soon as Shinobu started to talk, thankfully.

“Captain Hasumiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!” A boisterous voice breaks out, interrupting Yuta and Shinobu’s conversation. Shinobu does recognize it though-- could it be? “There are some people here-- they don’t look really suspicious, though… Ah, I have a better look! Now, they must be ninjas of the… Sengoku clan? It must be Sengoku, then☆”

There emerges a taller figure, brimming with confidence-- but also wearing a uniform similar to Tetora’s. Taking in his whole visage, Shinobu’s eyes widen with realization. “Oh! Morisawa-dono, it’s been a while!”

“Sengoku, are you doing well in your ninja training? Bwahaha, you’ve been out of my radar for quite long! Nagumo has been reporting his spottings, however… you’ve become a little of a legend in the city. I’m proud-- this is your youth, and you’re spending it well!” He exclaims back in response, tearfully nodding at Shinobu with a tender expression. Shinobu swears that he was about to come over and pull him into a big embrace (the infamous hug), but luckily something prevented him from doing so. Yuta being the obvious inhibitor.

“Who’s your friend, by the way? I’m Chiaki Morisawa, one of the city guards! It’s nice to meet you!” Chiaki introduces himself with a slight salute, and Yuta, not exactly sure what to do, saluted back hesitantly. “Are you from Sengoku’s clan?”

“Nice to meet you, Morisawa-san… my name is Yuta Aoi. I’m not from the Sengoku clan, but I am just borrowing Shinobu-kun’s clothes.” He replies-- a tinge of confusion evident in his voice. Shinobu looks at him, albeit concerned, but Chiaki is an extremely nice guy-- maybe his overbearing nature intimidated Yuta a little bit?

“Aoi? Oh! You must be Hinata-kun’s twin brother!”

Yuta’s expression grows more and more disgruntled. Shinobu stares at him, albeit concerned, and opens his mouth to speak.

“Morisawa. Where are you? Intruders are approaching elsewhere, stop fooling around and get ready.” A sharp voice resounds from elsewhere, causing Chiaki to groan for a moment, and he bows with an apologetic expression on his face.

“Ahaha, it was nice meeting you, Yuta-kun. Sengoku, it was nice seeing you again! Unfortunately, a hero has the city to save!” Chiaki says as his last greeting, gesturing wildly before leaving. “Captain, I'm on my waaaaaaaaay!”

Shinobu offers a small, anxious wave in return. Once the elder’s figure disappeared in the distance, Shinobu turns around nervously, leaning forward to ensure that he isn’t angry. He has to admit, Yuta has been extremely sensitive-- so, Shinobu has to make sure to be roundabout.

“Yuta-kun isn’t mad, is he..?!” His plan failed already.

Yuta stays silent for a moment, his face denoting nothing but emptiness. Shinobu’s lips twitch downward, unsure of what to do.”This ninja needs to go to the market to buy some provisions-- Yuta-kun wants to go, right? He can’t be left here…”

The fox nods, despite himself, and his lips curve into a slight smile. “Of course. It might not be safe for me to stay by myself, anyways. Sorry that I’m being so…  _ difficult _ .”

“Yuta-kun isn’t being difficult at all! It’s only natural that Yuta-kun would feel so conflicted. After all, a lot of stressful things happened to Yuta-kun.” Shinobu assures him, but making sure to not waste anymore time and lead the way back to the marketplace. Daylight is running by fast, and if it came to it, they’ll be forced to stay in a nearby inn. “This ninja wants to help Yuta-kun-- he wants to make him trust humans a little more and enjoy himself.”

“You just met me yesterday, too…” Yuta whispers in response, but Shinobu hears no indication of him stopping in place-- which makes him sigh in relief to an extent. “I don’t understand…”

“Well, that’s because Yuta-kun was quick to trust this ninja? He doesn’t understand that, really..”

“It’s really strange and silly, even, but…” Yuta trails off, eyes flickering around as he notices warm blood fill in his cheeks, turning him red. “Shinobu-kun, you’re not like anyone else I’ve ever met. You interested me, so… and you made me feel like I’m not a monster… I don’t know. I just know that you’re a good person.”

Shinobu warms up at Yuta’s words, and smiles widely at hearing them. “Yuta-kun… somehow, hearing such kind things makes yours truly quite embarrassed~!” He exclaims happily, and suddenly there is a skip in his step. “Thank you, Yuta-kun. This nin-- no, I, I think I am not yet worthy of Yuta-kun’s trust, so I will wait patiently for this day. But for tagging along with someone as incompetent as I and letting me help you… it makes me happy.”

Yuta chuckles, and broaches the topic of their conversation by excitedly pointing to spotting the billion of stands set up across the streets. “We’re here?”

“A-Ah, yes! Uwah… this ninja forgot how crowded the marketplace was… he didn’t prepare sufficiently! What should we do!?” Shinobu turns pale seeing the amount of people in the streets. It wasn’t like this earlier, but it seems like it’s gotten busier as time passed by-- it might’ve been well past noon by now. When he comes to town, he typically prepares to cloak himself and sneak around, but he hasn’t exactly taught Yuta how to do it, so there’s no way Shinobu can simply blend them both in. He hasn’t had enough training to be able to achieve applying his techniques on others. In fact, he isn’t exactly sure if they’re even remotely possible.

“It’s alright,” Yuta replies confidently, sticking out a hand for Shinobu to grab. Shinobu glances at him questioningly, tipping his head to the side as if demanding an explanation. “If we hold hands, we won’t get lost or separated from each other.”

Shinobu is hesitant about such skinship (especially since while they are friends, they recently just met, so…), but nonetheless he reaches for Yuta’s hand. Yuta takes it as his acceptance, and grabs it.

It calms him, somehow, and it’s almost like the crowd abaded in its rowdiness, beckoning the two with a wide opening.

The two push through the fray, and Shinobu manages to lead the way to a specific stand. There sits an exhausted boy slouching as he sat on an empty crate. Excited, he picks up the pace and greets the seller with a smile. “Takamine-dono, this ninja is here to restock!”

“Ah, Sengoku-kun…” The other boy replies with a yawn, and pauses slightly before continuing. He glances at Shinobu’s interlocked hand for some reason, and raises an eyebrow. “Huh.”

Yuta emerges from the crowd (due to their connected hands), and blinks as he comes face with the vegetable seller. “Shinobu-kun, we’re at a vegetable stand..?”

“Yes! Takamine-dono’s family sells the freshest green vegetables. Typically, this ninja doesn’t have the time to specially prepare the vegetables, but~ he comes here occasionally to fetch supplies for the village.” He explains triumphantly, putting his free hand on his hip and alternating between looking at Yuta and Midori.

“Ah, so you’re friends with him..?” Yuta blinks, examining the taller boy. He’s actually a little taller than Chiaki.

“Ha… I guess. Sengoku-kun is like a mascot, so it’s easy to talk to him.” Midori answers, but sighs as he forces himself to get up. “Should I introduce myself..? Well, my name is Midori Takamine… ah, this job is still such a pain. I always have to work the stand on the weekdays.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Takamine-kun. I’m Yuta Aoi.” He greets with a small smile, but that causes Midori to hum in response.

“Huh… now I think of it, you do look similar to Hinata-kun… is this even real? Wait, let me check…” Midori manages to get up at this point, and he reaches over to pull Yuta’s cheek. “Ah, he’s real.”

Yuta swats away Midori’s hand, and slinks back slightly-- eliciting concern out of Shinobu. “Takamine-dono! Yuta-kun doesn’t like being touched, so please refrain from doing so in the future!”

“Huh? I made a mistake, huh… ‘m sorry.” Midori states with a frown, “how bothersome of me… ah, I wanna die.”

“U-Um, this ninja needs to leave soon, so… Takamine-dono, he will be purchasing these!” Shinobu breaks in, hurriedly gathering vegetables in his hands, and handing them to Midori.

Midori blinks, but realizes what happened. Nodding, he totals up Shinobu’s price, and the two make the exchange. Midori even gives Shinobu a crate to carry the vegetables in, to both Shinobu and Yuta’s relief.

“Takamine-dono, it’s been a while, but we can possibly talk another time.” Shinobu suggests with an unsure grin, earning only a grunt in response. Feeling like Yuta must’ve been mad at the contact, he makes sure to usher the two of them out of the marketplace quickly.

“Perhaps when it calms down, Yuta-kun and yours truly can look later!”

Yuta only nods.

“Yuta-kun, what’s wrong..?”

“I think I need to make up with Aniki.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh yeah, i was thinking of doing another shinoyuta au based off their new gacha cards. kind of like a more shoujo kind of atmosphere? lol. idk, we'll see! just tell me if ur interested in it...
> 
> for more crying follow me on twitter @sweetie_wink!
> 
> also, for everyone doing the trickstar event, i wish you luck! i'm going for mao myself... possibly.


	5. let me tell you a story.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :')

_“Yuta-kun, what’s wrong..?”_

_“I think I need to make up with Aniki.”_

* * *

“This ninja believes so as well,” Shinobu nods in agreement, his eye widening with interest as he leans forward and grasps Yuta’s hands tightly. “Should this ninja escort Yuta-kun back to where Tetora-kun and Hinata-kun should be?”

“Not right now,” Yuta shakes his head, “I was thinking to do that tomorrow. I know you didn't want to do this, but let's stay in an inn for tonight.”

Shinobu specifically wanted to avoid this in order to save funds, but it looks like he has no choice. The sun is still up and shining (although it was getting close to sundown), and he didn't want to overwhelm Yuta by having them stay in town for so long. “Is Yuta-kun sure about that..? There are many humans in the inn and Yuta-kun may find it more comfortable elsewhere?!”

Yuta blinks, and pauses to think for a moment. “Ah, you're right… the ninja village is quite far, so I'm not sure if we can make it in time.”

“It took the both of us merely an hour to make it from the village, so that is not a concern. However, this ninja cannot bear to burden the village by coming back already.” Shinobu reasons with a frown, releasing Yuta’s hands from his grasp and turning to rummaging through his supplies to find a pocket watch he kept on him. “It is nearing 5pm.”

“Then, how about we go to Sakuma-san?” Yuta suggests, “well… that is technically where Aniki and I live too, so… I think it might be a good place.”

“Does Yuta-kun know how to get there from here?” Shinobu assumes Yuta’s home is deep in the forest, but Shinobu doesn't quite know exactly where that could be-- he only met Yuta near the outskirts of the forest, where he assumes Yuta was meandering around then.

Yuta flashes Shinobu a small smile, “of course~ Just stay behind me, alright?”

Shinobu nods, already mapping out the route to get back to the city gates. Telling Yuta that he's going over there and for him to follow, the duo manages to locate themselves right at the gates by sunset.

From this place, they didn't exactly have a good view of the sky, but… if Yuta stays for him for a while, there will be multiple opportunities for them to watch many things together.

But Shinobu is still afraid their time is extremely limited-- wouldn't Yuta, upon making up with Hinata, leave him? He never had anyone much of an actual friend rather than another he cooperates with-- so he doesn't know if he’s even worthy of being with. He has lived a lonely youth up until now, that is…

Ninjas function best in solitude, don't they?

“The sky looks pretty.” Yuta states plainly, eyes growing alert as they fixate on the gamut of colors streaking the sky as the sun makes its descent downward. Shinobu smiles, albeit somberly, but nods nonetheless.

“This ninja hopes to show Yuta-kun the sunset from a wonderful place,” Shinobu murmurs with a thoughtful glance. Yuta blinks at him questioningly, but shakes his head and begins to embark on their destination.

“I've been to the city once before when I was young, so I think I can remember a good bit of the route.” He assures Shinobu, and the ninja nods slowly in compliance-- he has no reason to oppose, after all.

* * *

“Yuta-kun, this ninja knows the way out of the city if Yuta-kun requires assistance--” Shinobu is cut off by a finger to his lips _again_. It seems like that is Yuta’s first instinct to shutting someone up-- maybe that is how Hinata handled things, so Yuta himself reflects that? Either way, it flusters him-- he must soon find a way to counteract this technique! Then, he will perhaps find a way for Yuta to stop doing that.

“Shinobu-kun, I know the way. Don’t doubt me, you know?” He says teasingly, as he moves his finger away and turning back around.

Shinobu pouts. They’ve been stuck in the same general area for a while, but it seems like he’ll have to humor Yuta… he’ll figure it out eventually. Hopefully.

Yuta scratches the back of his neck as he attempts to map out another path, but the sun has almost already set. At this rate, Shinobu will have to find something to set on fire to act as light-- he doesn’t have full confidence in his fire technique quite yet, so he was reluctant to put it to use. But it seems like he will have no choice if he lets Yuta navigate.

Yuta begins to move without any warning, and it startles Shinobu into scrambling in behind him. “Yuta-kun, are you sure you know where you’re going? It’s getting late, so… this ninja would prefer if he didn’t have to resort to utilizing the fire technique.”

“Huh? Sounds cool, you should use it.” Yuta replies, still distracted with finding his way out of the village. “Shinobu-kun, you’re quite amazing, huh? I wouldn’t think you are able to fabricate fire out of nothing… hehe, it’d be cool to see.”

 _It isn’t from nothing._ Shinobu thinks, “Ah, I’m not a magician, Yuta-kun… I am a ninja, after all.” He, nonetheless, is a little embarrassed from Yuta’s compliment. For some reason, he always knows the right thing to say. He remains a mystery to him-- he's a bit of a puzzle. He knows bits and pieces of information about Yuta, but he is not yet trusted enough to know everything-- he's sure.

But soon that time will come, and when it does, Shinobu will keep his secrets locked in the depths of his heart, guarded for eternity. Yuta really is his first friend, after all, and he has no intentions in betraying him in any way.

For a ninja's main priority should not be to deceive, but rather, serve. While many ninjas are deceitful and sneaky and take advantage of their skills, Shinobu doesn’t consider them _true_ ninjas. Sure, they are crafty, but they lean more so to being a thief and murderer rather than being an honorable hero of the shadows.

Such ninjas who use their sacred techniques for evil are the exact ones giving the rest a bad name-- they’re considered to be pesky scavengers and assassins.

Once, he was mistaken for one of those. He was mistaken for a stray bandit-- and was only narrowly saved by Tetora. Now, he makes sure that he is cloaked as much as possible in the presence of others he are not comfortable with-- he can’t bear to be regarded as _monster_ again.

After reflecting on this, Shinobu realizes what has drawn him to help Yuta that day-- it is something more than his guilt over falling on him. It’s deeper than that-- maybe he felt a personal connection of sorts, he feels the same isolation and sorrow ever-present in Yuta’s eyes.

Even now, he’s more lively than their initial meeting.

Shinobu doesn’t credit himself, but instead praises the effects of super cool ninja equipment. Anyone would feel happier if they look like an honored ninja of the Sengoku clan, right? He always gets a burst of exhilaration when he puts on his uniform everyday.

“Shinobu-kun? Are you tired?” He’s snapped out of his thoughts, and he shakes his head vigorously as he runs to catch up with Yuta. It seems like this time was the charm-- he finally figures out the correct path. He lets out sigh of relief, but sucks up his break as soon as he realizes how much his visibility has lowered. It’s getting really dark now, as the sun begins to move out of the scene for the moon to take its place.

The two move in a comfortable silence, accompanied with the sounds of the city transitioning from the peaceful bustling into a lively nightlife.

* * *

“Uwah, it cannot be helped…” Shinobu speaks up upon the two of them finally venturing into the woods, and he strays from their path momentarily to grab the necessary materials from the forest. Wary of starting a forest fire, he tries to keep himself as far as other forestry as possible, and launches himself into performing the fire technique. In an instance, Shinobu manages to light fire to the small lamp he had on hand, providing a light of sorts. “Ah, I am not as rusty as I thought~?!”

“Oh, so you had a lamp? I have one too, but Aniki took it…” Yuta remarks with a slightly bitter, but more playful tone than before. He definitely doesn’t seem as mad at his brother-- but there still lingered a sense of annoyance in his voice.

“Yuta-kun, I was wondering about something.”

“Hm?”

“Who was the other person Yuta-kun said Hinata-kun was acting like? This ninja has his suspicions, but… it’s surely the one who made Yuta-kun come to hate humans.”

Yuta goes silent.

As if he ignores Shinobu’s question completely, he continues to walk on-- a little ashamed, Shinobu follows suit with etches of worry evident on his face.

“I’ll tell you.”

The world stops-- Shinobu blinks, wondering how he manages to make Yuta trust him in such a short amount of time-- it’s unbelievable to him, really, that only within a few days he manages to befriend a youkai who has general distrust for humans…

It amazes him, really. He’s never really made a friend before, and to think it was so easy....

No, it couldn’t have been so easy. He has tried so many times to please others even in his own village, but they consider him weak and behind the rest. He only gets regarded because he’s the son of very proficient ninjas.

So, Yuta’s growing trust in him is really important to him.

“Yuta-kun… I don’t mean to rush you,” Shinobu speaks quietly, making sure his curiosity doesn’t get the best of him, “please take all the tim-”

“I’m ready!” Yuta argues, turning around-- the light from the lamp giving his face a sort of eerie glow. “I think the way I’m being right now could’ve caused Aniki to want to escape… being so standoffish and acting like a spoiled kid. I don’t want to burden Shinobu-kun with those sort of troublesome things.”

“Please do,” Shinobu lowers his voice to a whisper, eye wide and alert as he grabs Yuta’s hand reassuringly. “I want to be the one Yuta-kun relies on with all of his problems… while it should be that Hinata-kun and Yuta-kun carry their burdens together and overcome it, I am selfish so that I want to be the one bearing Yuta-kun’s weight.”

Yuta laughs in response, “that’s not selfish at all. You’re too nice for your own good, Shinobu-kun.”

The ninja tilts his head to the side questioningly at the sound of that-- and he shakes his head. “No, it is not like that… in truth, aren’t I a--”

“Shh,” Yuta interrupts, putting a finger to Shinobu’s lips again.

Shinobu’s eyes widen, and he remembers that he managed to prepare a tactic to counteract Yuta’s finger. Cheeks growing red as he employs his revenge tactic, he kisses Yuta’s finger, causing Yuta to draw back eventually.

“W-What was that?” Yuta sputters, a little flustered Shinobu’s tactic. “Do friends do that?”

“N-No, don’t think much of it! It was so Yuta-kun would stop doing that… that thing! It catches this ninja off guard, so naturally he created something to counteract it-- this was the best thing he thought of.” Shinobu turns a bright enough red to not even need the lamp, and he looks away, embarrassed.

“Well… let me tell you a story, Shinobu-kun.” Yuta murmurs, eyes shining brightly in the darkness, and he takes in a deep breath before he begins.

“My mother was a beautiful fox youkai-- I only know some things about her from what I heard from Aniki, since I’ve always taken things for granted. I didn’t treasure every moment I had with her… the thing is, the reason I’m here right now? It’s because she met my father one, fateful day. Years before the war between humans and youkai began, he was a mere fisherman who fell in love with a fantasy. He… I believed he loved her, but a part of me negatively thinks it wasn’t true love. It couldn’t have been.” His face grows grim, and Shinobu only tightens his grasp on Yuta.

“If he really loved her, then he would love everything about her… even us, who was a result of her and himself. She rose us on her own. He grew busier and busier, and he became more than a fisherman. He never lived with us, as hostilities began to rise between human and youkai. He was a selfish man, always taking her for granted. It made me mad, but Aniki always held me back from doing anything-- but of course, he really got bad after my mother…”

Shinobu stays silent, but notices that tears begin to come from the corners of his eyes. He wipes them off.

“I’m so sorry… I don’t want to think about it.”

“Yuta-kun isn’t obliged to tell this ninja everything now.” Shinobu says simply, as he pulls Yuta into an embrace.

“Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lays angst on thick and shrugs
> 
> follow me on twitter @sweetie_wink for more screaming


	6. the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a late update AND a short chapter? haru wyd... u haven't updated since early april you fool and u wrote another fic.  
> crying and lamenting bc ap exams are happening and i want to get kanata's 5* how about you

They make it to Yuta’s supposed shelter by midnight, and are greeted by more youkai lounging in the trees above it. A soft chuckle permeates the air, tearing apart the tension created from Yuta divulging his past. 

“Ah, the child has returned.” The owner of the deep chuckle finally speaks, and he glides off of the tree with grace, standing in front if the two of them with a loving smile present on his face. “Your brother is the one being surprisingly rebellious for once, hm?”

“Not exactly, he's just being dumb and thinking that… he's a burden and all that.” Yuta mutters with a gulp, “You know that run in with Sena-san really made him think himself as useless... Just because he couldn't win?”

“Secchan just finds him soooo annoying, probably…” Another voice says with a yawn, as red eyes gleam in the darkness and suddenly materializes in front of Shinobu. The ninja couldn't even suppress his yelp. “Ah, I scared you.”

“Ritsu-san… please don't do that again,” Yuta warns-- a bit startled himself, even when he is used to the other’s tendencies to like to surprise others. “Shinobu-kun is a little shy, so…”

Ritsu snorts in response, but nods nonetheless. “Oh, my bad~ welcome home, Yuta-kun.”

The fox sighs at Ritsu’s lack of tact, and Shinobu notices that his face reddened when Ritsu smirks upon spotting him cling to Yuta so desperately.

“A-Anyways,” Yuta broaches the subject quickly with a huff, but not without crossing his arms impatiently. “Sakuma-san, this is Shinobu-kun. He’s one of the remaining ninjas of the Sengoku clan. He was curious about youkai, so I thought to bring him to you.”

“Ah, a ninja? How nice. Thank you ninja-kun, for bringing Yuta-kun home safe and sound.” The unfamiliar man greets Shinobu with a grateful smile, dipping his head slightly. Shinobu glances at him in return, and lets go of Yuta in order to bow down and offer proper respect. He isn’t really sure about anything about the hierarchy of youkai, but he seems to be like one of the most esteemed ones if both Yuta and Hinata look up to him so much…

And really, he’s not exactly accustomed to being thanked this much up until now. While he knew a handful of trustworthy people in the city, there still exists a considerable amount of people who are prejudiced against ninjas or even in denial that they still exist.

“There is no need to thank this ninja, he did not do much at all,” Shinobu mutters in response, flushing as he lifts up his head, “he made Yuta-kun’s life a little more difficult, actually…”

After all, ninjas really didn’t have a place anymore so long after the Warring States period. Most ninjas were forced to turn to a life of petty thievery or assassination in order to get by, or so has Shinobu heard-- as a result, the townspeople have some distortion of a ninja’s goals.

The most skilled ninjas were heartless machines, only raised to kill. He values the code of ninjas so strongly, but he knows he could never be a  _ true _ one considering that he adamantly refuses the idea of having to kill someone. 

Ninjas, in hindsight, always had such a tarnished reputation-- but in the Edo period, those misconceptions only worsened. That’s why his whole village went into hiding, and it’s a surprise that Shinobu was let out of the village as often as he has been able to.

Maybe it’s because he’s so immature that everyone in the village thinks of him playing pretend, and therefore doesn’t usually regard him as a threat.

The first time he has entered the city, though, he was accused of stealing from someone in the marketplace. However, the city guards helped him out by making an excuse that he was just someone who liked to pretended to be a ninja-- and even though he admitted that he is truly a ninja, they still think that he’s not serious. So, as a result, they hadn’t exactly questioned Yuta, probably? Or he was able to make sure the two of them weren’t so conspicuous.

The allies he made in the city are the ones who believe in him and the fact that not all ninjas are inherently evil.

“Ninja-kun?” Shinobu is interrupted in the midst of his thoughts, and he perks up with a sheepish smile.

“Yours truly apologizes profusely, he was distracted…” He says quickly, albeit embarrassed-- he is a little glad to see that Yuta has slipped away to go elsewhere. But he can’t help but be concerned for where he’s going.

“My, is that so? Apologies for intruding on them. It’s necessary for me to introduce myself, correct? My name is Rei Sakuma, and I watch over Hinata-kun and Yuta-kun, and also my dearest younger brother, Ritsu.” Ritsu rolls his eyes at his brother’s introduction, and merely avoids his gaze. “Hey, anija, I’ll check on Yuta-kun.” 

“Make sure to come back, Ritsu.” Rei chuckles, and carries on. “I suppose we are one of the most respected youkais in this forest? We are onis, after all~ the strongest in Japan. If you studied your folktales closely,  you should be aware. That, and the snake youkai, Izumi Sena. Hinata-kun isn’t on very good terms with him, but he’s an interesting one…”

Shinobu, although unsure, nods with understanding. “Then it is an honor to meet Sakuma-dono, then…”

“Kukuku.... Ninja-kun can say that if he wishes.~” Rei smiles simply, “but as a result, we’ve been watching over these children carefully. Yuta-kun hates humans deeply, so it’s surprising to see that he befriended one.”

“It’s… this ninja’s fault for that, because if Yuta-kun had a choice, he would not have gone along with this ninja’s demands.” Shinobu laments, eyes fixating on his feet instead. “So, he apologizes for keeping Yuta-kun away for so long. But, I want to make him know that not all humans are evil… I suppose it’s because of Yuta-kun’s father he is so hostile toward them.”

“Ninja-kun, are you sure Yuta-kun didn’t enjoy being with you? By just looking at him, I can tell he’s changed a little. He’s the same child he’s always been, but he’s comfortable with you around.” Rei shakes his head, explaining his observations clearly. “But it’s interesting to see how much hope you have, young one. If you are a ninja, wouldn’t that mean you are also rejected by most humans?”

Shinobu gulps at the question, and parts his lips slightly to speak-- but instead, he jumps to a conclusion. “Huh, can Sakuma-dono read minds? W-Wah, youkai are truly powerful… it would be horrible if Yuta-kun can sense how yours truly is feeling…”

“Ahaha… reading minds? My, that would be an interesting power to have.” Rei grins, thankfully restraining himself from entertaining Shinobu’s naive thought, “No, it was mere intuition and I’ve been alive for so long, after all. It’s only natural I know about those in similar plights as us. Misunderstandings commonly arise out of conflict, Ninja-kun.”

“That would make the most sense…” Shinobu mumbles uncertainly, as he unleashes a breath he doesn’t know that he’s been holding. “But, even in my times of darkness where even I thought so foolishly that I would disappear because of my loneliness… I started to believe. On my own individual training, I have met others who didn’t reject me for who I am.”

“And so, I wanted Yuta-kun to experience that…” He trails off, his voice growing more and more confident as he continued on. “Our first meeting may have been by sheer chance, but… the outcome of it has been valuable. It was surprising that this humble ninja can make this much of an impact on another’s life.”

“Hinata-kun is willing to interact with humans and trust them,” Rei begins on another tangent-- almost as if he senses Shinobu’s subtle signalling to bring the subject back to Yuta. “So that’s why he left, not just because of Izumi-kun’s attitude. It seems like he’s made friends, all whilst acting as a student~ quite interesting, isn’t it? He begged me to not tell Yuta-kun, but I’m afraid this only brought their slowly widening divide to fruition.”

“Yuta-kun said he wanted to apologize to Hinata-kun and talk to him properly,” Shinobu offers hopefully, “so, this ninja plans to make sure such a thing occurs.”

“That would be excellent, Ninja-kun. I am depending on you--”

“Anija, you done yet?” Ritsu peeks back in with Yuta in tow, and a smile comes to both Shinobu and Rei’s faces.

“Yes, I think we should get started on dinner, Ritsu. Yuta-kun, keep Shinobu-kun company and wait patiently, alright?” Rei suggests, putting a hand on his little brother’s shoulder, and ushering him elsewhere. Ritsu yowls in protest, but he ignores him.

Yuta lets out a sigh, and he turns to look at Shinobu curiously. “Hey, did you talk about anything with Sakuma-san?”

“Just idle things, Yuta-kun…” Shinobu answers simply. “But, um… is it awkward for this ninja to ask this?”

“Huh? Go ahead.”

“Is this ninja being a bother?”

Yuta frowns at the question, and looks offended, even. He raises an eyebrow at Shinobu’s strange inquiry, and doesn’t hesitate in his answer. “Never. There hasn’t been a single time that I thought you were a pain, Shinobu-kun.”

“In fact, I’m glad I met you.” He admits truthfully, “If you think about it, we’ve become so close already within the span of a few days. Maybe we were fated to be together, Shinobu-kun. I don’t usually believe in such silly things like that, but… I think it could be true.”

Shinobu heats up, and he blinks-- wondering if he’s dreaming. “I love y-- that I was able to meet Yuta-kun as well!” He chokes on his almost confession, and all he hears is his heart wildly pounding in sync with the rhythm of the night.

“You’re really interesting, aren’t you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i can't write rei i'm sorry. or ritsu. or at all.
> 
> keep up w/me on twitter @sweetie_wink


	7. an aside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's a late update! school got out for me, and hopefully i can update more during the summer???

Yuta has made his resolve clear: he desires to understand his twin brother more. His carefully cultivated sense of rebellion falters-- it gets weaker as he begins to understand more. Shinobu understands the urgency of Yuta’s situation, and obliges with his wishes.

“Does Yuta-kun want to leave tomorrow?” Shinobu questions after he makes his bed of foliage. Shifting leaves out of the stray spots and securing them, he nods to himself as he crawls into the makeshift bed. Not wanting to waste time, Shinobu reaches over for his sack of survival tools, and unravels his blanket.

“Ah, Shinobu-kun… you didn’t have to do all of that,” Yuta warns way too late, and draws back realizing so. “If that’s what makes you comfortable… but yes, I think it’ll be best if we made preparations to go back to the city.”

He laughs nervously, cheeks turning red as he realized the amount of embarrassing things he’s done in the time span of a night. After dinner, Ritsu left to go elsewhere, and Rei decided to stay to watch after them. He elected to lounge on one of the tree’s sturdy branches, and assured the two of them that he wasn't listening into their conversations.

Shinobu doubts that, so he’s been trying to choose his words carefully. “Ah, this ninja  _ has _ been accustomed to creating a shelter for himself, so… but he forgot that this is Yuta-kun’s place, after all.” He explains with a laugh.

“Mm~ Well, it doesn’t matter. But that’s funny, Shinobu-kun.” He thinks for a moment, shakes his head, and instead brings up the subject at hand, “Shinobu-kun, are you sure you have nothing else to attend to?”

“I’m sure.” He answers almost immediately.

“So, it won’t be too much trouble if we left at dawn?”

Rei swoops down instantaneously, alarming the two of them as he narrows his gaze and looks at them with a grim look on his face. Shinobu blinks, unsure how he feels about the oni going back on his promise-- but then again, he didn’t exactly promise that he  _ isn’t _ listening in on them.

“It’s too dangerous right now.” Rei states plainly, albeit sternly. 

Yuta pouts and crosses his arms, “I can protect myself, Sakuma-san. It’ll only get worse if I don’t talk to him-- you know that from experience, don’t you?”

Rei turns silent, affirming that Yuta is right. With a sigh, he shakes his head again. “My dear Yuta-kun, be aware that conflict is plenty. Sena-kun told Ritsu specifically that you shouldn’t leave.”

“It’s not his place to decide,” Yuta snaps defiantly, “you are all treating me like a child, you know? I’m only a couple years younger than you!”

Only the rustle of the leaves conducted by the wind responds.

Shinobu opens his mouth to make an attempt at lightening the mood, but as soon as he tries to say something-- Yuta speaks again.

“It should be fine, Sakuma-san. If you still think that I don’t have a grasp on my powers, then would it assure you that Shinobu-kun will be with me? We can avoid any enemies!”

“You may be right, Yuta-kun. I am afraid I have forgotten the extent of Ninja-kun’s abilities… surely his techniques may keep the both of you safe.” Rei’s voice becomes quieter-- signifying that he is going to give in. Then he conjures up a protective charm that is bathed in a luminescent light with a dark purple hue, and hands it to Yuta. “Don’t lose this. If you are in any danger, you are aware of what to do. Kukuku… this could be interesting. Very well, I’ll look out for Hinata-kun in case he comes back.” 

* * *

Dawn hits, and Shinobu notices that both Yuta and Rei are sound asleep. He swiftly packs up his belongings, annoyed at himself for leaving to do preparations until later due to his extreme fatigue last night. It isn’t one of his wisest moments, that’s for sure. With more time to ponder on his own about the circumstances he has placed himself in, he can only note that it’s been a stressful few days.

It is a stark contrast from his leisurely, boring days of hiding in the depths of the forest to train. Before, youkai haven’t bothered approaching him so it’s weird that now he’s suddenly becoming involved with this other side more and more.

It’s not like he doesn’t mind. Maybe he always was in a spot that isn’t as populated with youkai?

Either way, he’s found a sense of belonging when he’s with Yuta. It may be quick and sudden for him to say this, especially since they’ve only been together for such a short time, but he thinks that they may be meant to be.

The implication of it being romantic feelings flusters him, but he knows for sure that he would be willing to spend the rest of his life making sure that Yuta is always smiling. Since he didn’t reject Shinobu’s help, laughed with him, experienced new things with him, and listened to his babble. Because of him, he learned about a completely new world beyond the short gamut of the world where Shinobu lives.

However.

He still hasn’t proven to Yuta that there are humans who are truly kind-- only one day has been spent in the city, and even when the were in there, Yuta has only been uncomfortable.

Perhaps it’s because of the ninja attire they both donned. A change of clothes to blend in will be a perfect way to rectify that conflict. If someone  _ did _ take his status as a ninja seriously, he doesn’t want to expose Yuta to that sort of discrimination.

He’s been told many times that he’s useless and that he needs to stay out of the city guard’s affairs from other boys that are in training to become a protector of the city.

That time, Tetora stepped in and told them off-- all while he was one of those training himself. Only knowing Chiaki at the time, he used their training grounds for his own benefits-- with Chiaki’s permission, of course, but this caused bitterness to stew within the others. Most people shunned ninjas in general-- and sometimes he would hear hateful comments directed at him.

Sometimes he had to be protected by others (like those of Captain Hasumi’s force and Midori), and sometimes he had to bear it all on his own. But whenever he’s in the forest, and even now, he feels a veil of protection shrouding him.

It’s strange.

The recent events with Yuta distracted him from the eerily safe feeling he carries when navigating the woods, but now that Yuta’s dilemma was solved for the most part-- he found himself pondering on uncovering who was the one causing this.

“You’re up early, Shinobu-kun...” Yuta interrupts the ninja in the midst of his thoughts with a yawn, but it frightens Shinobu nonetheless. 

He jumps backwards out of instinct, and crouches into a defensive position complete with ready shurikens in his hands. Blinking upon realizing who it is, he withdraws his weapons and straightens himself back in a proper position. “Uwah, Yuta-kun really surprised this ninja… but, it was excellent practice for this ninja’s sense of awareness? Perhaps?”

“So I helped in a way? I’m glad,” Yuta smiles warmly, tipping his head to the side as he grasps his bag of belongings tightly in his hand. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes, we must make haste-- however, is it much trouble if the ninja asks to take a detour? If necessary, he will do this quest after he has successfully escorted Yuta-kun to his destination…” Shinobu figures there’s no harm in asking, even if he knows that the answer is painfully obvious. Yuta wants to get to his brother right away, doesn’t he?

“Mm, I guess we can. It won’t take long--”

“Yes, maybe this ninja shouldn’t have asked! The answer is o-- w-wait, Yuta-kun is alright with it?”

Yuta shrugs with a small grin on his face, and goes ahead of Shinobu, leaving him to frantically follow the fox spirit. “W-Wait!”

* * *

“So why are we here again, Shinobu-kun?” Yuta questions incredulously, unconvinced of the necessity of even being next to the ocean. “If the detour is just to replenish our water supply, that shouldn’t even be an issue-- I refilled it earlier.”

“That is not the case.” Shinobu shakes his head, lowering onto his knees and extending a hand out into the body of water. He’s oddly drawn to enter it, but he isn’t sure if should risk it; however, it is a chance for him to exercise his water techniques, right?

_ Shinobu...♪ _ A voice in his mind whispers, and at that Shinobu makes his decision.

Taking a deep breath, he braces himself by closing his eyes before diving in. Indignant yells from Yuta grow weaker as he swims deeper into the water.

Now submerged in lukewarm water with Yuta’s shouts fading completely, he opens his eyes warily. He has trained himself to see underwater with vigorous amounts of practice, and it has finally proved to be of assistance.

_ Keep going…~ I am closer than you think. _

Nodding, although he isn’t sure the voice can even see him do so, he propels himself forward and navigates through the marine life. Gingerly swatting away seaweed threatening to entangle him, he spots an obnoxious amount of coral and sea life completely surrounding a certain area. Shinobu is completely confused with what is going on. It could be another youkai or something of the supernatural, right?

He reaches the mess of plants and animals, but they somehow unravel themselves and scutter away from the dome. Although he is still hesitant, he swims straight into the dome to be confronted with an older boy with cyan hair and a peaceful expression on his face. Donning an elaborate outfit and with a pipe in his hand, he smiles tenderly at Shinobu.

Unable to speak in the water, he hopes that this person is able to read his mind (well, not really, but… somehow understand what he’s trying to say-- it may be possible since he has some telepathy or something). But when he thinks of it, the dome is more dry and it might be possible for him to open his mouth.

“Ehehe… do not worry, you can talk.” The stranger breaks the ephemeral silence, which causes Shinobu to snap back into action.

“W-Who are you?” Shinobu sputters, unsure why he even went with this whole scheme without even knowing who this could be, but he prides himself on helping everyone.

“The bubbles… they’re nice~ the ‘land’ is too dry and it’s suffocating, but… it’s hard to swim.~” He remarks, “I am Kanata Shinkai… and I have come from the sea.~”

“S-So, Shinkai-dono is the one who has been protecting this ninja all this time?” Shinobu questions, unsure if Kanta is even going to answer any of his qualms.  He seems to be the more vague and mysterious type, after all.

“Yes… because Chiaki has asked me to. But… Chiaki will be in ‘danger’...” His face contorts into a worried one. “Give ‘this’ to him…”

Shinobu takes the wrapped item from Kanata, and stashes it away. Bowing to him one last time, he doesn't bother pushing for more information on his origins. “Very well, Shinkai-dono. This ninja accepts Shinkai-dono’s request! He will make sure that he protects Morisawa-dono in the future! So please do not worry!”

Kanata simply smiles, and Shinobu feels himself being slowly lifted away from the ocean.

* * *

“Shinobu-kun! Why did you do that?” Shinobu opens his eyes to Yuta tearfully peering over him, and strangely really close to his face. “I’m… so relieved you’re alright, Shinobu-kun. I didn’t know what I was going to do if you… hurt yourself.”

Shinobu laughs, and forces himself to sit upright. He looks at him straight in the eyes with a new sort of ferocity. “This ninja was assigned a task, Yuta-kun! It is very rare for him to get such quests… wah, I am very happy.”

“I’m happy for you, but… at least tell me if you’re going to pull a dangerous stunt like that, okay?” Yuta pouts, “you’re being just like Aniki in that way… geez, I should watch you more carefully now, huh?”

“Yes, please keep your eyes on this ninja always!”

He can’t believe he said that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "is there more plot?" ya this gonna be a long fic lads it doesn't end at just yuta making up with hinata lads it's slowburn for a reason
> 
>  
> 
> anyways yay kanata also i'm going to die this event gotta fight for my knights
> 
> follow me on twitter @sweetie_wink for more crying


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